Diamonds tweak game ahead of NZ clash

Australian captain Sharelle McMahon says her team needs to tweak a few things to
beat arch rival New Zealand, who are determined to slow down the speedy Diamonds in
Sunday's first netball Test.
The world's two top ranked nations will clash five times in three weeks over both
sides of the Tasman.
Each warmed up against a World Selection with New Zealand beaten twice in three
games and Australia losing a one-off fixture.
Veteran shooter McMahon, who has returned to the team after missing all of last
year's international campaign through injury, wasn't too alarmed by Australia's nine
goal loss to the composite side last Wednesday.
"I've had a bit of a look at the game and things are actually working quite nicely
for us in a lot of ways," McMahon told AAP.
"There's just a few times where we didn't quite finish off the way we would have
liked to, either with our shooting or our passing or getting out and turning the
ball over in defence.
"I think there's just a few things that, right at the top end, we can tweak and have
a bit of a look at and hopefully execute better when we are out against New Zealand,
because we will have to take out the wins."
Vice-captain and mid-court linchpin Natalie von Bertouch failed to arrive with the
squad in Sydney due to the chest injury suffered last Wednesday and was not expected
to play.
Coach Norma Plummer said earlier she had a couple of options if von Bertouch didn't
recover, but was looking for a slicker passing performance from her mid-court
anyway.
"I think our passing from the mid-court and between Sharelle and Lauren Nourse and
Kimberlee Green have got to pull it together," Plummer told AAP.
"It was absolute wasted ball and I couldn't see the reason for it."
Silver Ferns' coach Ruth Aitken highlighted the importance of her team shutting and
slowing down the world champions.
"It's important that we can shut down their speed through court," Aitken told AAP.
When they are given room to move they can zap that ball down really fast and that
makes it really hard for our circle defenders when the ball is coming down at a rate
of knots.
"Then our attack, for us it's having the courage to put people into space. We've got
very talented mid-courters, let's use them."
Aitken described Australia's loss to the World Selection as a game of two halves and
noted the difference made by von Bertouch's absence after the first quarter.
"In the first half they started very well and certainly lost a little bit of
momentum when Nat got injured," Aitken said.
"Also I think when (shooter) Cath (Cox) was subbed Caitlin (Thwaites) didn't have
the best of games, I think they lost that confidence in their forward court.
"I think they will take the positives out of that first half and know that's what
they have to build on for Sunday."
Australia have won 54 of the 91 trans Tasman duels.